Today, animators of three-dimensional (“3D”) computer generated objects, characters and/or items (collectively, “Objects”) often use one or more mesh structures to provide a framework for the Object. To animate such Objects, animators typically create a sequence of frames (for example, 20 to 30 frames per second), where each frame is a snap-shot of one or more Objects in time and where one or more elements of any such Object(s) are deformed from one frame to a next. Further, the underlying shape and/or structure of a given Object is often represented on an animator's computer display separate from its final outward appearance by a mesh of polygonal shapes, such as triangles, pentagons and the like. Such polygonal objects identify the shape of the object upon which textures and other processes are later applied.
To animate such an Object, an animator will typically use labor intensive and manual processes whereby the placement and other characteristics of one or more of the before-mentioned polygonal shapes are deformed from one frame to the next. Often groups of polygonal shapes are deformed in bulk, with later touch-up of individual polygons occurring manually. While various approaches have been proposed, which seek to create greater efficiencies in such animation processes and the deformation of mesh structures, currently available approaches still either require extensive manual manipulation of often each of the polygonal shapes at issue by an animator to provide a desired finished quality or otherwise suffer from human perceptible deficiencies in animation quality, such as blocky movement, noticeable artifacts and others. Such deficiencies often result in non-life-like deformations of computer generated Objects, as perceived by a human viewer. Accordingly, a need exists for devices, methods and systems which automate the process of deforming computer generated Objects, while facilitating the production of life-like deformations of such Objects.
The information included in this Background section of the specification, including any references cited herein and any description or discussion thereof, is included for technical reference purposes only and is not to be regarded as subject matter by which the scope of the invention as defined in the claims is to be bound.